In a scathing critique on Morning Joe, MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough lambasted Donald Trump as “weak and desperate” for trying to evade responsibility for his role in curtailing abortion rights and dismantling the Affordable Care Act.
Trump denied his longstanding intention to repeal Obamacare, despite clear evidence to the contrary, and attempted to distance himself from the Arizona abortion ban following the Supreme Court’s decision. Scarborough emphasized Trump’s culpability in these actions, highlighting their negative impact on women and Republican candidates.
Furthermore, Scarborough pointed out Trump’s recent attempts to backtrack on his actions, labeling them as “flip-flopping” and indicative of his current state of weakness and desperation.
During the segment, the phrase “Donald Trump did this” emerged as a central theme, underscoring Trump’s accountability for the current state of affairs. This messaging strategy aims to spotlight Trump’s role in shaping policies that negatively impact individuals’ lives.
“Donald Trump did this, and he did, and the consequences are absolutely terrible for women and also for Republican candidates,” Scarborough remarked. “That’s the message, that’s what the Biden campaign said. It is simple and powerful. I think we’ll hear ‘Donald Trump did this’ about a lot of issues as the year goes on, including those connected to the assaults on the democracy Jan. 6.”
“Also, Donald Trump, and we’ll be talking about this, too, he is desperately trying to run away from all the times he said he wanted to do away with Obamacare,” the ‘Morning Joe’ host added. “Now he’s saying, ‘No, no, forget what I said about John McCain going like this, maybe, maybe I like Obamacare.’ He’s flip-flopping. He just looks so weak and desperate right now.”
MSNBC’s Jonathan Lemire echoed Scarborough’s sentiments, emphasizing Trump’s inconsistency by pointing out his repeated vows to overturn Obamacare.
“In a Truth Social video yesterday, he tried to say, ‘I’m for Obamacare, I just want to change it,'” said Lemire. “We can fact-check that, a thousand times he said he wanted to overturn it. Donald Trump did this. As much as the Biden administration knows they have to put forward a positive message, so much of what they’ll say between now and November is, ‘Look, this is what Trump did, he has changed your life, taken your freedoms and threatened to do more.'”
President Biden seized the opportunity to contrast his stance, advocating for the expansion of ACA subsidies and warning against Trump’s purported agenda to dismantle the healthcare law entirely.
The Biden administration appears poised to leverage Trump’s track record as a focal point in the upcoming election campaign. By emphasizing the message “Donald Trump did this,” they seek to underscore the tangible consequences of Trump’s actions on voters’ lives and freedoms, positioning the election as a pivotal referendum on Trump’s legacy.
Watch the segment below: